USS James Monroe

USS James Monroe (SSBN-622), a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Founding Father and U.S. president James Monroe. She served with the United States Navy from 1963 to 1990.

USS James Monroe (SSBN-622)

USS James Monroe (SSBN-622)
History
United States
Namesake	James Monroe (1758-1831), fifth President of the United States (1817-1825)
Ordered	3 February 1961
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Laid down	31 July 1961
Launched	4 August 1962
Sponsored by	Mrs. Roswell L. Gilpatric
Commissioned	7 December 1963
Decommissioned	25 September 1990
Stricken	25 September 1990
Motto	"Watchful Waiting"
Fate	Scrapping via Ship-Submarine Recycling Program completed 10 January 1995
General characteristics
Class & type	Lafayette-class submarine
Type	Ballistic missile submarine (hull design SCB-216)[1]
Displacement	7,250 long tons (7,370 t) surfaced 8,250 long tons (8,380 t) submerged
Length	425 ft (130 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Propulsion	1 × S5W reactor 2 × Westinghouse geared turbines 15,000 shp (11,000 kW)[1]
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h) surfaced 25 knots (46 km/h) submerged
Complement	Two crews (Blue Crew and Gold), 13 officers and 130 enlisted men each
Sensors & processing systems	BQS-4 sonar[1]
Armament	4 × 21 in (533 mm) Mark 65 torpedo tubes with Mark 113 firecontrol system,[1] for Mark 48 torpedoes 16 × vertical tubes for Polaris or Poseidon ballistic missiles

Construction and commissioning

The contract to build James Monroe was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 3 February 1961 and her keel was laid down there on 31 July 1961. She was launched on 4 August 1962, sponsored by Mrs. Miriam Thorne Gilpatric,^[2] wife of Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric, and commissioned on 7 December 1963, with Commander William H. Sandford in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Warren R. Cobean, Jr., in command of the Gold Crew.

Operational history

Following shakedown off Florida's Cape Kennedy, James Monroe spent the early months of 1964 in ballistic missile tests. She departed for her first deterrent patrol in June 1964. On 17 January 1967, James Monroe completed her twelfth deterrent patrol, having operated from both Holy Loch, Scotland, and Rota, Spain. Preparations for the arrival of the submarine squadron went forward with haste throughout the remainder of 1978 and into 1979. Commander Submarine Squadron 16 greeted the submarine tender USS Simon Lake, when she arrived at Kings Bay on 2 July 1979. Four days later, USS James Monroe entered Kings Bay and moored alongside Simon Lake's starboard side to begin a routine refit in preparation for another nuclear weapons deterrence patrol.

Decommissioning and disposal

James Monroe was decommissioned on 25 September 1990 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Ex-James Monroe entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington. Recycling of Ex-James Monroe was completed on 10 January 1995.